Kolin is the man to know in Savannah. He’s the seersucker-suited Southerly host for the city’s historic DeSoto Hotel and the man who escorts hotel guests and curious tourists on daily Sip & Stroll tours around the Historic District of Georgia’s oldest city.
With the old-school Southern charm and warmth that the people of Georgia are known for, he knowledgeably answered all the questions we lobbed at him as he explained that Savannah was built around a grid structure by social reformer James Oglethorpe, who set sail from England to found the colony of Georgia, and the city of Savannah, under the rule of King George II.
Obsessed by balance and attracted to order, in 1733 Oglethorpe designed the city around four public squares, framed by housing and wide streets. Additional squares were added until, in 1851, there were 24 squares, of which 22 still survive.
Most of the squares – filled with cobblestone paths and shaded by oak trees draped with trailing tendrils of Spanish moss – are named in honour of historic figures or events and feature statues and monuments. If you’ve seen the movie Forrest Gump, you’ll have seen Tom Hanks’s character sitting on a bench in Chippewa Square, named after the 1814 Battle of Chippewa between the United States and the British (the US won).
Then there are the gorgeous and manicured parks, such as Forsyth Park, Savannah’s largest and most popular, with its famous fountain. If ever there was a city built for sitting and watching the world go by, it’s Savannah.
We’re pointed to Jones Street, such a desirable place to live that it’s said that this is where the phrase ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ came from. So Savannahians say anyway, and even if it’s not true it makes for a fascinating anecdote.
Kolin tells us that Savannah has what is thought to be the world’s second largest St. Patrick’s Day parade, after New York. The first parade was held in 1813, comprised mostly of Savannah’s large Irish community, but these days so many people turn up for the three-day festival that the city’s population doubles and its fountain waters are dyed green in celebration.
He walks us past the Mercer Williams house, made internationally famous in the book and subsequent movie, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, which is open for tours to the public.
As he talks about the city’s stunning antebellum architecture, my husband and I take photos of tourist-filled horse-drawn carriages and stroll through several squares in the pleasant April sunshine, ‘sip and go’ cup in hand (the daily walking tour includes a drink).
Most people who know a little bit about Savannah will know that it’s a must-see on the tourist trail of the America’s southern states and coastal environs.
But as well as being drenched in the tradition of Southern gentility, the city offers some forward-thinking surprises too, such as its ‘sip and stroll’ policy.
Drinking from bottles and hip flasks isn’t allowed on the streets, but you can take your alcoholic beverage ‘to go’ from bars as long as they are carried in plastic cups within the Historic District, allowing you to see the sights or sit in the public squares while sipping on a little something Southern – a Mint Julep or a ‘hard’ sweet tea.
We come back from our sightseeing stroll to a magnificent oyster roast being held in the hotel. A Savannah tradition, oysters are cooked on the grill in their shells and served with a dash of tabasco sauce, a spritz of lemon and, preferably, a sweet tea to hand – a popular weekend activity, we are told, during any month with an ‘r’ in it.
With a city so filled with history, the 248-room DeStoto hotel is the perfect place to stay, not least because of its own fascinating story. Built on the site of Oglethorpe’s Barracks (which, despite the name, never housed army troops), it has hosted celebrities, including Elvis and Katherine Hepburn, along with Presidents and dignitaries during its 129-year history. The original crystal chandeliers from 1890 still sparkle in the lobby and the tradition of Southern hospitality and style, from warm smiles from staff to going-the-extra-mile service in the restaurant, really did make us feel like treasured guests.
Built and rebuilt since the first luxury hotel on this site opened in 1890, it was originally nicknamed the ‘Dowager Empress of the South’, known as the centre of Savannah’s social life. It still is, especially after its multi-million dollar renovation of 2017 and location overlooking Madison Square, in the heart of the Historic District. A big hotel with a boutique feel, it offers amazing views over the city from its upper floors, an unforgettable fine dining experience with farm-fresh ingredients in its 1540 Room restaurant and memorable cocktails in Edgar’s Proof & Provision. While it has a small town feel to it, Savannah has big city amenities, with great shopping and numerous festivals, showcasing the best in music and food, throughout the year, plus must-see shows in the historic Savannah Theatre, which opened in 1818.
A Savannah oyster knife is the quintessential souvenir, but you should also look out for Savannah Bee Company body products and pop into the independent shops along Whitaker Street. We fell in love with the E. Shaver bookshop, opposite the hotel, with its two shop cats snoozing on chairs as readers browsed the shelves and Van Morrison music played over the sound-system.
Savannah is a city of firsts. The first planned city in America boasts the first golf course in the US, established in 1794, and the first art museum in the South, the Telfair Museum of Art. It was also our first visit there, but it won’t be our last. Once you have experienced southern comfort and Savannah charm, you’ll want to keep going back for more.
